Britain's Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, participates in the Archewell Foundation's Parents' Summit "Mental Wellness in the Digital Age" as part of Project Healthy Minds' World Mental Health Day Festival on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, in New York. Photo / Evan Agostini / Invision / AP
Britain's Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, participates in the Archewell Foundation's Parents' Summit "Mental Wellness in the Digital Age" as part of Project Healthy Minds' World Mental Health Day Festival on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, in New York. Photo / Evan Agostini / Invision / AP
King Charles met with Prince Harry for just half an hour to ensure his stress levels stayed down, a royal expert has claimed.
The King met with his son briefly after he rushed from California to the UK last week, the Sun reports - because a longer meeting could have brought up more divisive topics, according to writer and broadcaster Robert Jobson.
“You don’t want his blood pressure going up ... the King’s not very well. Whatever type of cancer it is, he’s undergoing treatment,” he told the outlet.
“The best thing for him is calm. After the initial kiss and hug, ‘Love you dad, hope you get better soon’, what issues are going to get raised? Things that will get your blood pressure rising.”
“I would think he will stay at Sandringham House until they shut it down, and then he may go to Wood Farm,” he suggests.
“When the late Queen was very sick, she went to Wood Farm. It’s also where Prince Philip lived after his retirement. It’s a very relaxing place and he can be there with just a couple of servants and just really chill out.”
Charles offered his “heartfelt thanks” to the public in his first statement since his diagnosis.
He flew from Buckingham Palace to Sandringham after his first in-person meeting with Harry in 16 months, while his son stayed overnight in London and flew back to his family after a visit that lasted just 26 hours.
The King being diagnosed with a form of cancer was revealed after he spent three nights at the London clinic for treatment for an enlarged prostate. It’s expected the King will have further outpatient treatment for cancer this month.
King Charles left his meeting with Prince Harry and headed to Sandringham, where he was seen attending church on Sunday. Photo / AP
Buckingham Palace has not yet set a date for the King to return to fulltime duties.
Jobson also claimed Harry’s unflattering portrayal of Queen Camilla in his memoir could be another reason his meeting with the King was so brief.
“The Queen was with the King,” he pointed out.
“Let’s be honest - he wasn’t too complimentary about Queen Camilla in his book Spare. He wasn’t very complimentary about her on Netflix. They don’t get on.”
He added that there hadn’t been much contact between father and son in recent months, which would add strain to any meetings.
“The royals do stick to a pretty military clock. You have to get the helicopter pilot there, all these things, so his plans had to be changed. The one thing the King doesn’t like is changing his plans.
Prince Harry's portrayal of Queen Camilla may have added strain to his relationship with the King, one commentator suggests. Photo / AP
“He gave him long enough for a kiss and hug, and wished him all the best.”
Charles has described the support from the public since his diagnosis as “the greatest comfort”.
In his message, he wrote that it was “equally heartening” that opening up about his condition had “shone a light” on the work done by charities to support those living with cancer.
“My life-long admiration for their tireless care and dedication is all the greater as a result of my own personal experience.”
Charles is expected to spend time at Windsor Castle, Highgrove and Sandringham amid his recovery.
